Updated: 2023-08-22 06:59:00 EDT


Purpose

This webpage/report is intended to aggregate information from different agencies (i.e. USACE, SFWMD, FWC, USGS and NOAA) into one spot to help inform local government agencies and stakeholders on conditions within Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary and Coastal southwest Florida. The data provided here should be considered preliminary and are subject to change.


USACE Data Summary

Daily discharge volume in Acre-Feet per day for the last 14-days. Data Source: USACE

Date

S77

S78

S79

S310

S351

S352

S354

L8

S308

S80

NthLake 1

WCA1

WCA2

WCA3

ENP 2

08-21

0

2085

4971

-326

0

0

0

-2

0

5829

2148

2354

2465

2,977.190

08-20

0

2110

5145

-363

0

0

0

2

710

23

6895

1829

2162

1930

08-19

0

1540

5214

-256

0

0

0

4

0

6135

2132

2221

2376

08-18

0

814

3666

31

0

0

0

-10

0

70

4110

2303

3096

2477

3,445.289

08-17

0

1174

2352

53

0

0

0

-24

0

31

3622

1989

2190

1950

3,484.959

08-16

0

1193

3118

-87

0

0

0

-10

0

12

5141

1991

1775

1926

08-15

0

992

1887

-100

0

0

0

-12

282

31

4364

2521

1922

1847

08-14

0

980

2915

52

0

0

0

-26

0

35

4399

2648

1388

1755

3,498.843

08-13

762

2114

4078

35

0

0

0

-10

0

19

4834

2817

1547

1736

08-12

726

2624

5694

-105

0

0

0

-0

0

19

4649

2479

1872

1781

3,756.694

08-11

1067

2491

5350

-103

0

0

0

-0

0

35

5441

2473

1956

1868

08-10

1265

2011

5716

-61

0

0

0

-24

0

35

7234

2497

2247

2029

08-09

1529

2252

4738

18

0

0

0

-4

0

27

7442

2817

2608

1853

1 Includes discharges from Fisheating Creek, S71, S72, S84, S84X, S65E, and S65EX1

2 Estimated as S12s+(S333+S333N)-S356. If no data is present (i.e. -NR-) either S12s, S333s or S356 data is not available.

Average and total net discharge volume in Acre-Feet per day for the last 7-days. Data Source: USACE

Statistic

S77

S78

S79

S310

S351

S352

S354

L8

S308

S80

NthLake

WCA1

WCA2

WCA3

ENP

Average

0

1415

3765

-150

0

0

0

-7

142

33

5156

2131

2246

2139

3,302.479

Total

0

9908

26353

-1048

0

0

0

-52

992

167

36095

14914

15721

14971

9,907.438

Average and total net discharge volume in Acre-Feet per day for the last 14-days. Data Source: USACE

Statistic

S77

S78

S79

S310

S351

S352

S354

L8

S308

S80

NthLake

WCA1

WCA2

WCA3

ENP

Average

411

1722

4219

-93

0

0

0

-9

76

31

5392

2357

2103

1999

3,432.595

Total

5349

22380

54844

-1212

0

0

0

-115

992

337

70094

30645

27340

25993

17,162.976

Caloosahatchee Conditions Summary: Flow to the Caloosahatchee Estuary had a 7-day average of 1,898 cfs at S-79 with a 7-day average of 0 cfs (0%) coming from the lake at S-77. The 14-day moving average flow at S-79 is 2,201 cfs and has been in the stress flow envelope (2100 - 2600 cfs; RECOVER 2020) for 5 days.

Lake Flows: In the past 7 days the total outflow from Lake Okeechobee was 1,082 AF with 0 AF to the Caloosahatchee through S-77,992 AF through S-308 in Port Mayaca, 84 AF through S-310 in Clewiston, and 0 AF to the EAA through S-351, S-352, and S-354. The total net inflow to the Lake was 37,285 AF (36,095 AF from Fisheating Creek, S-71, S-72, S-84s, S-65EX, and S-65EX1) with a total backflow volume of 1,190 AF from S310 and C10A. Water conservation areas received flows of 14,914 AF, 15,721 AF, and 14,971 AF at WCA1, WCA2, and WCA3, respectively. Everglades National Park received 9,907 AF.


Lake Okeechobee Level: 15.36 ft (Operational Management Band)

Lake Okeechobee Inflow: 3213 cfs

Last Week: 15.33 ft

Lake Okeechobee Outflow: 358 cfs

Weekly Rainfall Total:

WP Franklin ≥ 1.62”

Ortona ≥ 2.24”

Moore Haven ≥ 0.58”


Lake Okeechobee


Stage Elevation

Lake Okeechobee daily average stage elevation for water year 2024 (WY2024) relative to the last two water years (red line) relative to the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule (LORS) .

Data are provisional and subject to change.


Stage and recession rates this time for the current and last three water years

Date
(Month-Day)

Water Year

Stage
(ft, NGVD29)

7-Day Recession Rate
(ft 7-d⁻¹)

30-Day Recession Rate
(ft 30-d⁻¹) B

08-21

2021

14.05

0.24

1.24

08-21

2022

14.45

0.17

0.96

08-21

2023

12.67

-0.12

-0.37

08-21

2024

15.36 A

0.03

0.38

A Value estimated from average stage height across L001, L005, L006, LZ40, S133TW, S352HW & S4TW

B -0.5 ft 30-d⁻¹ maximum 30-day Recession Rate for HAB Deviation

  • As of 08/21/2023 the mean stage elevation in Lake Okeechobee is within the Operational Low Sub- Management Band at a stage elevation of 15.36 feet (NGVD29).

Lake Okeechobee 7-day and 30-day water level recession/ascension rates during WY2024. Negative values indicate falling water levels (recession) and positive values indicate raising water level (ascension) during this 7-day period .

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Lake Okeechobee 7-day water level recession/ascension rates stop-light metric relative to the draft Snail Kite Performance Measure.

Data are provisional and subject to change.


Regional Rainfall

Weekly (08/15 - 08/21) rainfall totals along the Caloosahatchee River

Mointoring Location 1

Weekly
Rainfall
Total
(inches) 2

S79 (WP Franklin)

1.6

S78 (Ortona)

2.8

S77 (Moore Haven)

0.6

1 Data Source: SFWMD DBHYDRO (DBKEYS 16414,15495,16415) and USACE reports

2 Based on data from 08/15/2023 - 08/21/2023


Relative Algae Condition

Sonde monitoring locations within Lake Okeechobee conducted by SFWMD.


Daily Chlorophyll, Phycocyanin,relative ratio of Phycocyanin (Phyco) relative to Phyco and Chlorophyll (Chl) and Turbidity within Lake Okeechobee monitored by SFWMD. Chlorophyll and Phycocyanin are plotted on log-scale. Thresholds of concern/risk identified for Chlorophyll (20 and 40 μg/L) and Phycocyanin (40 μg/L; Cotterill et al 2019 & Macário et al 2015).

Data are provisional and subject to change.

  • Cotterill et al (2019) Phycocyanin sensors as an early warning system for cyanobacteria blooms concentrations: a case study in the Rotorua lakes. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 53:555–570.
  • Macário et al (2015) New insights towards the establishment of phycocyanin concentration thresholds considering species-specific variability of bloom-forming cyanobacteria. Hydrobiologia 757:155–165.


Weekly mean water quality sonde Chlorophyll and Phycocyanin concentration at monitoring locations across Lake Okeechobee

Site

7-day Mean
Chlorophyll Conc.
(μg L⁻¹) 1

7-day Mean
Phycocyanin Conc.
(μg L⁻¹) 1

Green Algal
Concern Category 2

Blue-green Algae
Concern Category 3

L001

12

111

Min. Concern

High Concern

L005

19

47

Min. Concern

High Concern

L006

76

5

High Concern

Min. Concern

LZ40

POLESOUT1

28

22

Warning

Min. Concern

POLESOUT3

0

3

Min. Concern

Min. Concern

1 Based on data from 08/16/2023 - 08/22/2023

2 Chlorophyll Categories:
Min. Concern: values < 20 μg L⁻¹
Warning: values ≥ 20μg L⁻¹ and <40 μg L⁻¹
High Concern: values ≥ 40 μg L⁻¹

3 Phycocyanin Categories:
Min. Concern: values < 40 μg L⁻¹
High Concern: values ≥ 40 μg L⁻¹

Algae Coverage


Cyanobacteria Algal Index across Lake Okeechobee. Percent area based on open water coverage (Lake Area minus Littoral Zone). Data from NOAA NCCOS HAB data explorer.
Data are provisional and subject to change.


Daily cloud cover and cyanobacteria algal bloom coverage of Lake Okeechobee. Percent area based on open water coverage (Lake Area minus Littoral Zone). Data from NOAA NCCOS HAB data explorer.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Blue-Green Algae Sampling Results

Blue-green Algae sampling results for the last 14-days for the 10 county area (Lee, Collier, Hendry, Glades, Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe). Data from FDEP Blue-green algae dashboard

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Of the 76 samples collected, cyanobacteria was dominate in 64 samples, 58 samples had toxins present ranging from 0.25 to 37 μg L⁻¹ (does not include non-detects).



Caloosahatchee River Estuary

Discharge

Fort Myers Yacht Basin salinity (SCCF-RECON) and S79 discharge (SFWMD) data for the last six months.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Fort Myers Yacht Basin salinity (SCCF-RECON) and S79 discharge (SFWMD) data for the last last 30 days.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

S-77 (from Lake Okeechobee) and S-79 (to Tidal Basin) flow data along the C-43 and Caloosahatchee River. C-43 Basin Flow was calculated as the difference from S-77 and S-79.

Data are provisional and subject to change.


Daily, 14-day moving average and 30-day moving average discharge for S-79 relative to the Northern Estuaries RECOVER performance measure and the established minimium flows and levels (MFLs) for the recent 6-month period.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Daily, 14-day moving average and 30-day moving average discharge for S-79 relative to the Northern Estuaries RECOVER performance measure and the established minimium flows and levels (MFLs) for the recent 30-day period.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

  • As of Aug 21, discharges conditions are within the stress RECOVER salinity envelope.


Cumulative discharge for S-79 (to Tidal Basin) and S-77 (from Lake Okeechobee) for the last three Florida Water Years (May - April). Day of water year is analogous to day of year with Day 1 = May 1st.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Estuary Salinity

Daily average bottom salinity data for the last 14-days from sampling locations within the tidal Caloosahatchee River Estuary relative to oyster health (Sanibel, Shell Point and Cape Coral) and tape grass (Vallisneria americana) health (Ft. Myers only) conditions.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Red Tide Abundance


Red tide sampling results for the last 30-days from just south of Tampa Bay to the Florida Keys. Data from NOAA HABSOS Program.Data are provisional and subject to change.

Red tide sampling results for the last 30-days from just south of Tampa Bay to the Florida Keys. Data from NOAA HABSOS Program.Data are provisional and subject to change.

Red tide sampling results for the last 30-days from just south of Tampa Bay to the Florida Keys. Data from NOAA HABSOS Program

Data are provisional and subject to change.


Chlorophyll fluorescence for coastal southwest Florida for 2023-08-21 (Data Source: NOAA NCCOS)

Chlorophyll fluorescence for coastal southwest Florida for 2023-08-21 (Data Source: NOAA NCCOS)

Red Tide Forecast

Red Tide Prediction and Tracking for coastal Southwest Florida from FWC and USF link.

Upper and lower water column HAB (Red Tide) forecasted trajectories from Ocean Circulation Group at USF.Upper and lower water column HAB (Red Tide) forecasted trajectories from Ocean Circulation Group at USF.

Upper and lower water column HAB (Red Tide) forecasted trajectories from Ocean Circulation Group at USF.

Statewide Gulf of Mexico coastal Red Tide forecast from FWC and USF.

Statewide Gulf of Mexico coastal Red Tide forecast from FWC and USF.


Charlotte Harbor

Discharge

Daily discharge into Charlotte Harbor from major rivers and creeks. Data source: USGS. Grey dashed lines between points indicate a potential data gap with values linearly interpolated.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

 

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